DALLAS — For the first time since he bought the Dallas Mavericks in the middle of the 1999-2000 season, owner Mark Cuban won’t be able to harass officials in the playoffs.

Two nights after the Mavs were eliminated from playoff contention, snapping the franchise’s record run of 12 consecutive postseason appearances, Cuban fell on the sword, taking the blame for a season that remains one game under .500 with three to play. On Wednesday, Cuban contended that had Dirk Nowitzki not missed the first 27 games of the season after knee surgery, and a career-high 29 in all, that his club would be fighting for a fifth or sixth seed.

On Friday he said he failed to put a good enough team around his 7-foot star who led the franchise to two NBA Finals and the 2011 championship.

“Look, it didn’t work out the way we planned. It’s all on me and [president of basketball operations] Donnie [Nelson],” Cuban said prior to Friday night’s overtime win over the Denver Nuggets. “It’s our job to put people in position to succeed. We didn’t do enough of it. It’s not an apology. It’s just the nature of the beast. I bust my ass to do as best as we can. No one hates losing more than me, so I’ll keep on busting my ass and hopefully it will change.”

Cuban opted not to re-sign key players from the 2011 championship, in particular last season’s Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler, in order to create cap space under the altered rules of the new collective bargaining agreement.

The club chased Deron Williams last season but failed to lure him, setting in motion a run at players on the final year of their contracts or signing players to one-year contracts to keep salary cap room wide open for this summer.

While Cuban acknowledged that the franchise is now in a rebuild mode, he said it will be a quick job.

“It’s not a four-year rebuild cycle,” Cuban said. “I guess when you miss the playoffs, by definition you’re rebuilding. So we’ve got to get better.”

After striking out on Williams, Cuban and Nelson quickly went to work to construct a team. They felt confident about pieces acquired, namely O.J. Mayo and Darren Collison to replace Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, plus center Chris Kaman, easily the most offensively gifted big man the Mavs have had, and Elton Brand.

But, with Nowitzki out of the lineup, Dallas skidded to a 13-23 start. And while coach Rick Carlisle shuffled through starting lineups like a deck of cards, the Mavs still managed to make things a bit interesting over the last few weeks in the race for the eighth spot, but ultimately they were never able to fully recover.

With three chances in the past two weeks to get back to .500 for the first time since December, they lost by double-digits in each game, the last coming Wednesday to the last-place Suns.

The loss sealed the Mavs’ fate as an unfamiliar participant in the upcoming draft lottery.

“Look, we did the best we could,” Cuban said. “We obviously didn’t have what we thought we would have. We obviously should have had more. I don’t know if we could have, but we should have, and so it’s all on me. If that means I let Rick down, I let Rick down. People always give me (expletive) — why do you always put your email up on the screen and why are you always out front? This is why. So if someone’s got a shot to take, take it at me.”

The Howard sweepstakes killed the championshp team. should have kept that core. Oh well hindsight is 20/20. Going forward they should left everyone walk except Dirk/Collison/Mayo/Wright. Try to get Smith from Atlanta and the center from Minnesota (Nicholi?). If Igudalia is agavailable get him. Then round out the bench.

Nobody dismantles a championship caliber team, but Cube just did it! Clever is screwed by cleverness. In NBA, talents add up together won’t win you a champion, it is the team with its every single role player in the right places. Mavs dynasty was over since day one of the broke up. It would be lucky if they come back as a champion contender in another 10-15 years. Mark my words.

Cuban, you don’t have to take all the blame, but I knew you would. I have to admit I would love for you to get back Tyson Chandler, Barea & the Jet. I would love to see them play another season together and possibly win another Championship. Gram J.

Dallas would have made the playoffs if they had Dirk the whole year…Cuban should have never gave up Tyson Chandler and the rest of the key pieces that won him a championship in 2011…Dirk grow old in Dallas and waste more years of his prime, he would rather be loyal to his team then to go to a better team and win another championship loool #MavsSuk

It’s called self-respect. The same reason MJ never teamed up with the other greats in his era. Bosh, Allen, Battier, and Wade have no self-respect. They would rather carry Lebron’s luggage than accept a larger role with another team. #HeatHaveNoBalls

HAHAHAHAH … in what way is staying on a bad team with no help surrounding you self-respect? This is an old argument, but since you brought it up… What about KG/Pierce/allen…Kobe/D12/Pau/Nash…. Paul/Griffin/Crawford….etc etc… this is a new era, other players have learned from the reggie miller’s, Chris webbers, and charles barkeys… Great career..NO RINGS. Kobe said he wanted to leave LA before they acquired Paul Gasol and Bynum… Mj wanted to leave before they brought in Pippen/Rodman… Its not about self-respect, its about WINNING! Dirk could easily go to OKC, or any top 3 team in each conference and they would be a contender, hes lucky he gogt 1 ring, most players who stay loyal to bad teams never get a ring… #HeatNation

The ironic thing is, even had they kept most if the team together, they wouldn’t have had enough to beat Miami again, and he knew it. It was a great run to the championship, but having another run agsinst a team as stacked as Miami was not going to happen. At least now we have a chance to pick up some elite players to go with Dirk. It was a calculated risk. I’m glad he took it.

I hope Mark Cuban can get the Dallas Mavericks make to “elite” team status like they’ve been most of the time. They need to keep Dirk, Marion, Carter, Collison and the 3 rookies (Crowder, Cunningham and B. James).

I’VE BEEN DALLS FAN SINCE 2005 I STILL GOT LOVE FOR THE TEAM BUT CUBAN GONNA NEED TO FIX IT UP..THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I AIN’T GONNA SEE MAVS IN PLAYOFF HOW YOU FEELING CUBAN THAT’S HURT HOW COME THAT DOES NOT HURT YOUR FEELING..I WANNA SEE MY TEAM REBUILD NEXT YEAR..AND I WANNA SEE THE REAL DIRK I KNOW YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT SO SO I HOPE TO SEE A BETTER DIRK NEXT SEASON REALLY WOULD LOVE THAT..

I get tired of hearing cubes blew up the team he offered everybody 1-2 year deals but everybody wanted max deals period. Tyson was offered 14million a year 1-2 yrs but chose 4 yr 48 million with my state tax and cost of living barea chose the same long deal along with everyone else.

I can understand not re-signing many of the players of that Championship team, even JJ Barea and Stevenson (they are some of my favorites). But Chandler had to stay. He has a better attitude than Howard and he takes winning more seriously. If what you say is true, they should’ve amnestied that bonehead Haywood sooner to create more room.

He needed a player like Howard cause Novicki and another white guy can never do in the NBA,He had Chandler a guy i would chose over Howard any day but he blew it.He should have took Nash back when he left Feniks to replace Kid.He should have signed Smith this free agency.He should have done many things but I’m sure he tried as much as he could *probably did not want to pay enough.

They should let go of kaman, that stupid blond bear is useless! he can’t rebound, and in the defensive end he cant guard and stop players going to the basket! they might should get a defensive big man with a big defensive presence.

I blame Cuban too, such a big mistake to let go of his Champion core and make a mess of his own team. I really feel sorry for the team and players especially Marion and Dirk a few games and vacation comes, when that happens Cuban should acquire Stephen Jackson and get 2 player from Lottery. This team will be playoff bound Next year/Conference.

who we need to keep:
dirk (the presence, and the always dangerous offensive threat)
carter (the man is our best offensive punch. he’s the type of player then can give you 20 points in 14 minutes)
wright (still young, shows good offensive and defensive ability. needs to improve size and strength)
collison (good and quickening the pace of the game, very good on the fast break)
brand (defensive toughness)

wait, atl loses both their allstar big men for oj, old marion and bum kaman… sounds fair to atl… obviously dallas fan just looking for ways to make their team better. lets trade .. hey lets trade bernard james and jared cunningham for LBJ and D Wade. who are those guys? exactly

Yeah I think that it was on his list because they were a championship team when he first said it. Now I don’t see him joining them. Everyobody knows crybaby Howard will not go to a losing or rebuilding team.

It was easier to buy your way to championships before the new CBA. That’s why. Mark Cuban always spent money on hefty contracts for his players. After the new rules he faced a harsher luxury tax than before. That’s why he did not re-sign those players.

Still, the luxury tax is weak. There should be no over spending on the budget. There should only be “here is your 50 million for the year (or what ever the number is) now make it work. Each team should be on an even playing field. Surely everone here can agree that due to having the ability to overspend the Lakers have some titles in their hands!

Cuban is WRONG again….The pieces they got were actually very good, O.J. Mayo, Darren Collison, Elton Brand. The problem is in the players they already had, the Mavs needed to make a trade and they did not. He can go ahead and let Darren go but he won’t get a better PG and he’s been actually playing well as of late. If they let O.J. go then they are also equally as stupid. This team needs to rebuild around Mayo and Collison, and also even if Dirk was never injured they still would have never made the playoffs.